Six-horse draft mechanism.



H. MESSMAN.

SIX HORSE DRAFT MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED APR. 3, 1900;

Patented May 3, 1910.

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HERMAN MESSMAN, 0F KENTLAND, INDIANA.

SIX-HORSE DRAFT MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 3, 1909.

Patented May 3, 1910.

Serial No. 487,628.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, I'IERMAN MESSMAN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Kentland, in the county of Newton and State ofIndiana, have invented a new and Improved Six-Horse Draft Mechanism,

' of which the following is a full, clear, and

exact description.

This invention relates to draft mechanism or draft ear enabling a numberof horses or similar draft animals to be attached to a plow or otherimplement, and provides a construction which will equalize the leverageand pulling force exerted by the different animals.

The object of the invention is to provide a draft mechanism adapted tobe attached to an ordinary rectangular plow frame, and which willprovide for the attachment of six animals which will have an equallever- The invention consists in the construction and combination ofparts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forthin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan of the mechanism and represents the same as attachedto the forward end of a rectangular plow frame; Fig. 2 is a verticalsection taken through one of the bars of the plow frame, and illustratesthe manner in which the draft mechanism is secured thereto, this viewbeing upon an enlarged scale; and Fig. 3 is a vertical section takenthrough the end of the main tree, and illustrating the manner ofattaching the doubletrees thereto, this view being upon an enlar edscale.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 represents the forward endof a rectangular plow frame having parallel side bars 2 and 3 connectedby a cross bar 4. On the right side of the frame 1, that is, on theouter side of the bar 3, a post 5 is attached, to which post a bracket 6is attached. The bracket 6 is attached to the rear end of the pole ortongue 7 of the plow which tongue extends forwardly and normallysubstantially parallel with the side bars 2 and 3 of the frame 1.

I provide a draw bar 8, the body 9 of which extends toward the left fromthe side of the frame 1 a short distance at the rear of the bar 4, or itmay extend toward the right according to whether it is a right-hand orleft-hand arrangement. This body 9 is connected by a right-angleextension 10 with a shank 11 which extends across the front of the frame1, as shown. The draw bar is rigidly attached to the frame 1, by meansof clips 12 having the form shown most clearly in Fig. 2. Each clipcomprises an inverted U-bolt 13 having a threaded leg 14 which extendsbelow the lower edge of the frame. Each U-bolt seats on the upper edgeof the frame, as indicated, and its innor leg 15 is provided with alaterally projecting toe 16 through which a bolt 17 passes. This bolt 17passes through the draw bar, and to the projecting ends of this bolt andthe leg 14, a clip plate 18 is attached by means of nuts 19, as shown.With the arrangement illustrated, it will be evident that the clip plate18 clamps the draw bar and the frame 1 rigidly together. As shown inFig. 1, I provide two of these clips 12 which connect the shank 11 tothe forward bar of the frame, and a single clip adjacent the rearportion of the extension 10, which connects the shank to the side bar 2of the frame. The body 9 of the draw bar is connected with the end ofthe shank 11 by a diagonal brace 20, which materially increases thestrength of the draw bar, as will be readily understood.

At the end of the shank 11 which is remote from the body 9, a pulleyframe 21 is provided which is formed of inclined strut bars 22 which areattached together at the pivot bolt of the pulley 23. On the outer endof the body 9 a similar, though smaller pulley frame 24 is formed, butthis frame is formed of a straight strut bar 25, and a bowed strut baror how 26 which is attached to the outer end thereof, and at the pivotof the pulley 27. At an intermediate point on the shank 11, a shackle orlink 28 is pivotally attached, and in the forward end of this link, apulley 29 is mounted. A similar link 30 is attached at an intermediatepoint along the length of the body 9, and this link is provided with apulley 31.

Dis osed forwardly of the draw bar 8, I provi e a main tree 32 which isdisposed in a horizontal position, as indicated. This main tree isprovided at its middle point in keeping the plow straight.

with a clevis 33 which projects rearwardly,

and is provided with a ring 34. From this ring a chain 35 extends,passing around the,

rear side of the pulley 31 and around the forward side of thepulley-'27, and the=endl of this chain is anchored at 36 on the end ofthe body 9. A similar chain 37 is provided,

which is attached to the ring 34, and'this chain extends around the rearside of the pulley 29 and around the forward side of the pulley 23, "theend 'of the chain being anchored at the point 38 at the'end'of the shank'11, as indicated. On the ends of the main-tree 32, U-brackets 39areprovidedfihe 'pivotbolts 40 whereof afford means for attachingtripl'etrees 41tothe ends ofthe main tree.

These tripletrees 41 have short arms which project inwardly toward the-middle of the main'tree, and long arms which project outwardlyand aretwice the length of the'shortarms. To the's'hort arms of-the tripletrees41, doubl'etrees 42 are connected by-links 43, as'indicated. Thesedoubletrees '42 have arms-ofequallength, and the ends of the arms areconnected by links 44 to swingletrees 45. To theouter extremitiesof thetripletrees 41, swingletrecs 46 are connected by links 47, as shown.Fromthis arfrangement it will be understood that six horses m'ay beattached to the draft gear, 'arranged in two sets of three each. Thethree horses ofeach set have their pulling force equalized by thetripletrees 41, and exert their collective pulling force upon the endsofthe main tree 32. By reasonof the chains placed between the pair ofhorses at the right, and they maybehitched to-th'e tongue in any"suitable manner, in-thisway assisting In other words, the outer end ofthe right-hand tripletreeprojccts across the tongue7. Attentionis calledalsoto the'mann'er inwhich the draw bar 8=is attachedtothe frame *1,

and especially to the'fa'ct thatit is attached at one of the forwardanglesofthe frame. This fact insures that the beam will be properlybraced against longitudinal 1 or lateral-displacement with respect tothe frame. In-order to stifien the body 9 of the draw bar, its upperface is provided with a cleat 48 of angle *iron or similar material, and

' through this cleat the brace 20 and the link 30 areattached to thebar.

Having thus described my invention I claim as newand desire to secure byLetters 'Patent,- k

1. In a draft =mechanism'of the classdescribed, in combination, asubstantially rectangular =plow fr'ameya draw bar having a shankrigidly-attached to the forward end of said frame'and having a-bodyoffset rearwardly from said shank and connected to the same by a rightangleextension, said extension lying against the side of said frame,means for attaching said extension to said frame, a main tree, meansforatta'ching-a plurality of draft animals to said main tree, and meansfor connecting said main 'tree with said drawb'arat a plurality (ifpoints.

2. In'a draft mechanism 'of the classdescribed, in combination,asubstanti'ally'rectangular framehaving-a forward crossbar andsubstantially parallel sidebars, :a pole attached to one of said sidebars and extendingforwardly therefrom,a draw bar-having abody with ashank offset-therefrom, means for attaching said draw bar to said frameat aforward corner thereof, a main-tree; chains connecting said maintreewith said draw barat a pluralityof points, a tripletree carried by saidmain tree having-a long arm projecting across said pole and having ashort arm projecting inwardly, a triple tree attahedto the other endof'said main tree 1 having a long arm proj e'c tingoutwardly and a shortarm projecting inwardly, doubletrees attached respectively tothe shortarms of said tripletrees, and swingletreesattached to the outer ends ofsaid'tripletrees and'to the ends of said doubletrees.

In testimony whereof 'Ilrave signed my FRANK J. BURNS, A. E. MORRIS.

